Search

Stay Away From Nopal Cactus (Prickly Pear) Extracts As You're Only Getting An "Extract/Fraction" Of the Real Nopal Cactus (Prickly Pear) Benefits With These Products

(*)See References and Disclaimer at the bottom of web page.

Extract: A substance made by extracting a part of raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water.(1*)

Concentrates: A concentrate is a form of substance which has had the majority of its base component removed.(2*)

If you currently have a bottle of nopal cactus (prickly pear) juice, read the label and see if you come across the words “Extracts” or “Concentrates”? If you do, then we applaud the company for being candid enough to disclose to you that you are not consuming whole nopal cactus (prickly pear) but rather a mixture using a solvent such as ethanol or water.

To harness all the healthful benefits that nopal cactus (prickly pear) has to offer, you need more than just a nopal cactus (prickly pear) concentrate or extract. You need the whole nopal cactus (prickly pear) fruit processed in such a way that you don’t lose the precious amino acids, betalains, fiber, minerals, pectin, phytonutrients and vitamins which are the reason you are consuming the nopal cactus (prickly pear) in the first place.

Further, if you are purchasing nopal cactus (prickly pear) juice for the benefits of the nopal cactus (prickly pear), why add all the other fruit juices and purified water to the bottle of nopal cactus (prickly pear) juice?

The reason is to add bulk to their product which in turn makes it look like you are receiving more nopal cactus (prickly pear) when you are receiving less.

Did You Know: Many nopal juice companies do not even use whole food nopal cactus (prickly pear) but rather, “Opuntia concentrate.” Look on the product label to see if you can see the words "Opuntia concentrate."(3*) If you do, then you are not purchasing whole nopal cactus (prickly pear) and may be losing out on many of its health benefits such as its rich fiber content.

According to WebMD, men need about 38 grams of fiber while women need 35 grams of fiber per day.(4*) Fiber is known to promote excellent heart health, weight management, and energy.(5*)